Surprising Dairy-Free Ways to Boost Your Calcium Levels
If you’re on a dairy-free diet, you may be concerned about calcium. We all know that calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth, but did you know it is also needed for muscle and nerve function as well? It’s a hugely important mineral. If you don’t have enough in your diet, your body will take it from your bones. In fact, your bones are constantly rebuilding themselves over your whole life, which is why all of us need to ensure we eat enough calcium. Long-term calcium deficiency may cause rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.
In the UK, dairy is most people’s main source of calcium. So if you are dairy free for any reason, you need to make sure you eat plenty of other foods which are high in calcium. There are many, many other websites that can tell you about those already. Instead, I’m going to tell you about some other ways to boost your calcium levels that you may not be aware of.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Did you know that your body can actually produce it’s own Vitamin D from sunlight directly on the skin? In the spring and summer months, you should be able to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight on the skin, alongside a balanced diet. However, the UK government recommends that breastfed babies and children under 5 should be given a Vitamin D supplement daily, and that everyone should consider supplementing with Vitamin D in autumn and winter. Formula is fortified with Vitamin D already, so if your baby is bottle fed, they won’t need an additional supplement.
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